Dirigible-balloon construction.



1.1. REYNOLDS @L A. H.1ENK|NS. DIBIGIBLE BALLOON CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2l. lgl. I

'Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

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1.1. REYNOLDS & A. H. JENKINS. DIRIGIBLE BALLOONA CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21.1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TOEN J'. REYNOLDS AND ARTHUR H. JENKINS, OF RULEVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.

DIRIG'l'BLlE-BALIOON CONSTRUCTION.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 21, 1916. Serial No. 110,526.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, J oHN J. REYNOLDS and ARTHUR H. JENKINS, citizens of the United States, residing at Ruleville, in the county of Sunflower and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirigible-Balloon Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for a purpose to increase the efficiency of dirigible balloons, to simplify and cheapen' the construction thereof, without sacrificing efficiency in the principal essential requirements of such devices, and particularly to increase the safety and dependability of such craft. An importa-nt object is to so construct such a vcraft that damage to a gas container will not necessarily cause its descent, and wherebyJ in the event that a large part of the gas containing structure Ais damaged and its lifting efficiency lost the craft will not be hampered by the dead weight of such structure, but

may be freed thereof, and its flight continued.

Another important aim of the invention is to enable the use of a plurality of transversely located balloon elements and the mounting of the baskets, car, or load, thereon', in such a manner that in case of loss of' efliciency of an element at one side, the center of gravity of the load may be so adjusted that the craft may be maintained on an even keel, permitting its proper navigation and obviating the necessity for descent,

or discharge of ballast to attain such end. A further important object is to enable the control of the elevation of the device without requiring the use of ballast such 'as ordinarily used at present. A further aim is to give a novel and desirable method of controlling the lifting effect of a balloon element throughout its length.

A great advantage of the invention lies in the fact that in the event of an emergency it enables the freeing of the essential parts -of the craft from the balloon elements and tening and release between the balloon elements and the chassis, and additional objects, advantages and features of invention will appear from the construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, where,

Figure l is a perspective view of a dirigible balloon constructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the balloon at one side released and the craft in course of being righted, or restored to normal equilibrium,

g. 4 is a detail of the fastening between the balloon, proper and the frame of the craft,

Fig. 5 is a detail of the inner fastening between the balloon proper and the frame of the craft,

Fig. 6 is a detail of the apparatus for adjusting the center of gravity of the device relatively to the superstructure,

Fig. 7 is a left hand elevation thereof,

Figs. 8 and .9 are details of fastenings between the balloons and load.

rlhere is illustrated a craft comprising two balloon elements 10, connected to a superstructural intervening frame work 11, which may be of any desirable construction to preserve the rigidity of the craft. The

frame -11 may be of any suitable construction for attaining the purposes in view, and the plane 12 is 'incorporated thereon to' serve as an auxiliary lifting element, which, together with certain emergency planes to be described may be depended upon to save the craft from falling precipitiously, in case both of the balloons 10 become inoperative. The frame 11 includes a lower element 13, which extends close to the medial vertical planes of the balloons, and immediately thereadjacent releasable lower fastenings 14 are provided, as illustrated in Fig. 4. rlhe balloon envelop or itsy reinforcement is provided with suitable loops or apertured elements 15, engaged through which there is a projection 16, carried by the lower element of the frame 1l, as close to the said medial vertical plane ofthe balloon as possible. ln the drawings, for convenience in order to avoid confusion of details, the fastening 14 is located somewhat to the outer Aside of the medial plane mentioned. '.lhey

form of the fastening may be varied, as found desired, the purpose being to give an anchorage for the balloon, from which it Patented Aug.. f4, 191V?. y

.vent casual disengagement of the element 15, the keeper being movable .to releasing position by means of a wire or cable 19 extending to the car 20 suspended below the balloons, in a manner to be described.

Alined with the elements 13 of the frame 11, there are upper elements 21, at the outer ends of which upper fastenings 22 are provided, as illustrated in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5 the device is shown adapted for attachment to a netting, in case such should be `employed over the balloon, although the particular form bf the reinforcement of the gas containeris not involved here. y The upper element of the fastener 23, consists of a plate which may be riveted to the casing of the balloon, if of metal, or apertured to receive the cords of the netting, as illustrated. Centrally thereof the plate 23 is formed with a horizontally apertured lug 24, in which -thereis slidably engaged a bolt 25, carried in a suitable mounting 26 secured upon the frame work 11 at each of the points mentioned. The element 26 is shown to have a plurality of lugs 26', through which the bolt is slidable, a collar 27 being formed at one point on the bolt between .which collar and an adjacent lug 26 a spring 28 is conned, tending to hold the bolt in engaged position in the lug 24 of the releasable' element.

A cord 29 is shown attached to the bolt, by which it may be released, the cords from all of the bolts at each side of the structure being carried to onepoint in the car 20,

from which they may be operated simultaneously at either side to release one or both balloons, as desired. The plane element 12, and the frame 11 at its lower part may be provided with such longitudinal lifting elements as may be required. Between the outer parts of the upper and lower elements` y pressure against their inner and undensides,

this movement of the elements 30 resulting in forcing the balloons 10 outwardly, when released, and causing their ready disengage- `ment from the fastenings 14v at the under side.

Carried medially beneath the balloons in normal operation there is the car 20 before mentiied, which may be of any suitable construction, but in the present instance is shown to include as its principal longitudinal stiffening element a cylindrical gas reservoir or tank 33, suitably shaped at its forward and rear ends to offer a minimum resistance to forward progress of the craft throughr` the air. Upon .its rear end there is mounted a suitable power unit 34, details of which form 'the subject of a separate application of even date herewith, althou h various means for the craft may be employed. ecured releasably to the bottom of the car there are cargo chambers 35', held upon the bottom of the car by any suitable means permitting their release,`\a special form of.which construe tion forms the subject of an application of even date herewith.

Mounted atintervals upon the reservoir 33 there are suspension drums 35, illustrated in detail in Figs. 6 and 7, from which .suspension cables 36 are extended to the upper inner side of the frame 11, cables 37 being extended from these drums to the lower outer side of. the frame 11.

Each of the drums 35 is mounted in brackets 38, secured upon the top of the reservoir 33, the bracket at one side having a worm shaft 39 mounted revolubly thereon at right'angles to the axis of the drum, and meshed with a worm gear 40, secured uponIv or forming a part of the drum. Each of the drums 35 maybe operated by a worm shaft, or all operated by one worm drive,

. may be operated by one worm shaft, a longixtudinal shaft 41 eing illustrated adapted to .be extended through all of the drums,

and in which case the shaft 41 would pref` erably be hollow and of the lightest possible construction. Each of the drums consist of a large portion 42, and a small'portion 43,. both suitably grooved for the winding 0fv cable thereon. The cables 37 are engaged with the larger part 42 of the drums, and two or more cables may be engaged with leach part of the drum, if desired. The

cables 36 are engaged in the smaller part l of this drum, and the difference in size between the large and smaller part of the drum bears a relation to the distance beltween the connections ofthe cables 36 and 37 at each balloon. The cables are so en.- gaged upon the drumthat those at one side will be unwound as the cables-at the other side are wound upon the drum, and a suieient length of cable is provided in order to permit the drums to move from a position vertically beneath one balloon to a corresponding position beneath 4the other balloon, although normally the' drums will be located midway between the balloons, and an equal amount of cable from each side will be wound on the drums. As in such movement of the drums, more of the cable 37 will be required to be taken up than of the cable 36, the drums are to be made of such proportions as to maintain the cables as nearly taut as possible on both sides during changes of position. r.llhe proportions of the drum elements will vary as the size of the balloons, or the distance between the points of suspension at the upper and lower sides of the frame 11. The shaft 39 is to be operated manually or. by "power, as ldesired, in f any approved and suitable manner.V

rlhere is illustrated in Fig. 8 a form of connection between the lower part of the balloons 10 and frame 11, in which the lower element 13. of the frame is extended and formed with a recess 45, immediately'- outward of which the end of the element 1K3. is rounded, and a loop 46 is provided.' forattachment to the lower side of the balloon,

so that `when borne downwardly and outwardly from the notch it will readily slip upwardly or otherwise, from the end of the element 13. Pivoted immediately inward of the notch 45 upon the element 13there is a combined keeper and release device 47, movable in a suitable slot in the arm, dotted at 48, the keeper element 47 having an outwardly extending arm 49 branched as at 50 on its extremity, to embrace the bight of the loop 46, when engaged in the notch 45, the upper branch 51 being curved upwardly so that it will ward the loop 46 outwardly toward the end of the element 13 when moved downwardly, not only disengaging the loop from the notch 45, but pressing it outwardly so that it will clear the end of the element 13. The keeper 47 is provided with a pendent arm 52, between the lower end of which and the element 13 inwardly thereof there are connected toggle levers 53, to the middle joint of which there is connected a cable or other suitable release device 54. llt will be seen that when the device 54 is drawn upon the arm 49 of the lever 47 is forced downwardly for the functions indicated.

ln Fig. 9 there is illustrated a construction of connection between the lower part of the balloon and the frame 11 by which it is intended that the balloon shall become automatically free therefrom when unattached at the upper side 11. ln this instance, the

ally and causing the loop 56 to become disengaged from the element 55.

It should be noted that the plane 12 includes a pivoted section 60 at its forward part, hinged at its rear edge in the present instance, although other pivoting practice may be followed if desired. From its forward edge cables 61 are extended downwardly to any suitable winding device within the car, while similar cables 62 are extended upwardly therefrom and rearwardly over pulleys 63, carried by standards 64 located at the inner part of the plane 12, and continued thence downwardly to the car, where they are also engaged with a winding device in any approved construction and manner. rlhe lifting effect of the plane 12 may by this means be governed, the section 60 being raised to increase the effect, which will be found desirable in ascending or when one or both balloons are released; and by lowering the section 60, descent will be facilitated.

rllhe balloons illustrated are of sectional construction, partitions being formed therein at intervals throughout their length, in any usual method, the details of which are not illustrated. Separate gas supply and suction connections are provided between each lsection and the reservoir 33 including a main duct and a compressor device 65 which may be of any desirable construction. At the connection with each balloon section there are provided valves 66 operated by means of cords 67 extendedinto the car. ln this manner any one or more of the sections may be exhausted of gas as much as desired, or gas admitted, to regulate the lifting effect of the balloons, which, in conjunction with the releasable fastenings of the cargo chambers 35 will permit maintenance of the craft statically upon an veven keel.

What is claimed:

1, A dirigible balloon comprising a plurality of balloon elements, a car element, plane elements connected with the car, a plurality of releasable connections between the car and balloon elements, means to release said connections at will, separate cargo carrying elements, releasable connections between the cargo carrying elements and the car, and means to release said last named connections at will, and propelling means connected with the car.

2. A dirigible balloon comprising a plurality of elongated parallel balloon elements proper, a car carried thereby, and means to move thecar transversely beneath the balloon elements, whereby the center of gravity of the load may be moved into a line with the resultant of the lifting forces exerted by the entire craft.

3. In an air craft, a plurality of balloon elements, a car, releasable connections between the car and balloon elements, separate cargo carrying means and releasable connections between the carrying means and car,

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llllti ice v means to move the car for adjustment medially .of lifting forces of like magnitude, plane elements connected to the car, and propelling means connected tothe car.

4. In an air craft, a frame having lower balloon fastenings at its outer sides, and upper balloon fastenings thereabove and inward of the rst a flexible web element connected between the upper and lower parts of the frame adjacent the said fastenin s, and extending longitudinally of the cra said web elements being proportioned to bow inwardly under pressure of a balloon secured by said fastenings, and to bow outwardly under air pressure, whereby a balloon will be warded outwardly when released from said fastenings.

5. The combination of a balloon, a structure, carried detachably thereby including a lifting plane element and propelling means, a cargo container detachably suspended from said structure, means to detach the balloon and means to release the cargo, whereby the structure including the plane element may be propelled as an aeroplane upon being freed from balloon and cargo.

6. An aero craft comprising a body" struc- ,A

ture, a plurality of balloons, releasing devices connecting the balloons and body structure, means to operate the releasing devices for release of any balloon at will, a car carried by said body structure normally intermediately of said balloons and movable to position beneath any one and intermediate positions, and means to so move the car relatively to the body structure.

.7. In an aero craft, a plurality of parallel balloons, a car parallel thereto, a plurality of longitudinally spaced drums carried by the car element each having portions of different diameters, cables connected to the outer sides of the balloons extended to adjacent sides of the largerrparts of the drums and partly ,wound in opposite directions, cables connected to inner parts of the balloons extended to adjacent sides of the smaller parts of the drums and wound in opposite directions thereon corresponding to the winding of the adjacent first named cables, and means to rotate the drums simultaneously in either direction at will.

8. In anaero craft, a plurality of parallel spaced balloons, a frame including a plane therebetween, a car parallel thereto, winding drums arranged longitudinally of the car, cables thereon extended to opposite sides of the frame and wound on the drums for reeling of cables at one side and unreeling of those at the other side, and means to operate the drums in either direction at will. v

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. REYNOLDS. ARTHUR H. JENKINS. Witnesses: A

I-I. L. WooDWARD, CHRISTIAN NmLsEN, Jr. 

